Slow On the Uptake
by JustAnotherAuthorDurping
Summary: Tokka One-shot;; Post war 5-6 years, for Tokka week's prompt 'Shopping'. Sokka is forced on a trip to the market with Toph where he realizes something about his best friend he has never noticed before. R&R?


A/N: Happy Tokka week everyone! I am very excited to be participating in my first Tokka week ever – I can't wait to see all the excellent fics/art that will be posted up the next seven days! So for the first prompt, I chose the most obvious plot. Yeah, sorry.

Feedback is much appreciated. Please let me know if the characterization is spot on or not. This fic takes place about 5-6 years post war, so that'd make Sokka 20-21 and Toph 17-18. Oh yes, and a ginormous thank you to Zay (Zayz) for betaing this for me, despite her lack of love for the show. She helped me alot.

**Slow on the Uptake:**

"Come on Sokka, we're going out."

That was the first thing Toph said when she marched into Sokka's apartment unannounced, her opaque eyes seeming to locate him _almost_ exactly. Sokka, who had not even heard her coming, sprang from his leisurely position on the couch with a yelp and toppled to the floor, his scrolls and papers fluttering down with him.

"Toph!" he groaned, his expression disgruntled. "I've asked you a thousand times not to just barge in like that." He started to pick up his papers (they were covered with sketches of invention plans) and shot her an exasperated look she would never see. "I could have been… naked, or something!"

"Gee, what _would_ we have done then?" Toph's voice was positively seeping with sarcasm. "I guess it's a good thing I already can't see and all, else I'd probably go blind by a sight like that."

Sokka scowled. "Ha-ha." His tone matched hers. He stood, scrolls flooding his arms, and made his way over to his work desk. "Now what'd you come here for again?" he asked. "I'm kind of in the middle of something."

Toph made her way into the room and leaned on a wall, stating, "You're taking me shopping. I need a dress."

He froze, both his jaw and scrolls dropping to the floor. "_What_?"

She sighed. "Do I have to spell everything it out for you, Meathead? You. Me. Shopping. Now."

Already subconsciously aware of the reason why, Sokka still asked, "Wait, why not take Katara?"

"Because, Sokka," Toph explained, "if I take Sugar Queen, it'll be an all day affair and the marketplace isn't really my thing."

Crossing his arms, Sokka took a moment to mull this over before suggesting (and not sounding desperate at all), "Well, what about Aang, can't you bring him?"

"Twinkle Toes doesn't owe me a dress."

It was then that Sokka's expression became a portrait of outrage and shock. "Wait, since when have I owed you a dress?!"

Releasing a steady air of breath patiently, Toph turned her heads towards him and deadpanned. "Since you were the pea-brained moron who puked all over my lap at last year's reunion after drinking too many shots of fire whiskey. And since the fifth celebration is tomorrow, I need a new gown, else Katara will get her tights in a twist about," – Toph proceeded to do a shrill and squeaky imitation of Katara– "'dressing properly'."

He shook his head and unfolded an arm to gesture. "That's ridiculous, Katara wouldn't -." He glanced up to see his friend arching a defiant black eyebrow. "Right…" He bit his lower lip. "Do I have to?"

"Yeah."

"You can't bring-."

"No Sokka, I can't."

"But -."

"Not happening."

A brief moment of silence interrupted their conversation, until Sokka, letting out the most exaggerated sigh of frustration and defeat muttered, "I'll go get my bag."

For the first time since she came into his apartment, Toph cracked a grin. She didn't feel bad about dragging him out with her to join her in the 'fun' act of shopping (which she wouldn't have to do if he hadn't thrown up on her in the first place), but she still felt the need to cheer him up, even just a bit.

She pulled her back from the wall and tried to sound the least bit reasonable when she spoke again. "Gosh Sokka, it won't be _that_ bad. Think of it this way – at least we'll be alone without anyone there to overhear us while we come up with a new prank for this year's party." Her mouth pulled into a smirk; this would surely lift his spirits just a little.

And it did.

Pulling his head from a chest, her friend seemingly forgot his earlier argument for a moment as his face wrinkled with thought. Then it brightened.

"Hmm… Well, I _was_ thinking explosions could be our theme this year..."

* * *

"How about something red?"

Sokka pulled his face from the rack of evening gowns and dresses and gazed at Toph who sat on the floor of the store, a disinterested look settled upon her pale face.

"You don't even know what red looks like," he pointed out, slightly annoyed. His cerulean eyes quickly accessed her. "Besides, it would make you look too washed out. You need a lighter color." He went back to his search, shoving aside a peachy colored gown that had way too many layers – it was like pushing away a heavy curtain.

"Maybe something purple?"

Sokka groaned.

"Hey, just trying to help inspire something, 'O Fashionable One'."

He continued his search, sighing occasionally at the severe lack of color choices for gowns. Toph leaned back on her palms, pulling her meteorite bracelet off her arm and absentmindedly bending it into various shapes, a habit she had picked up ever since Sokka gave it to her almost five years ago.

Toph's eyes squinted a bit and she morphed the space earth into an earth nation insignia.

"So what if we make exploding drinks?" she queried.

Sokka glanced over his shoulder and moved to the next rack. "Uh, that could be a bit too dangerous, Toph. We don't want the entire royal palace catching fire."

"_Hmph_…" She bent the space earth into a water nation emblem this time. Suddenly brightening, she sat up and exclaimed, "Oh, I got it! The cake!"

"Huh? We're nowhere near a baker stand, Toph."

She rolled her eyes and stood in excitement. "The cake at the _reunion_, Sokka! Every year they have a huge cake and Sparky always cuts it to symbolize equality or something stupid like that. What if we rig it so it blows up in his face right as he goes to cut it?"

Rather slow on the uptake, it took a brief few seconds before Sokka's lips started stretching into a wide grin. "That's perfect!" He flung his arms into the air to add emphasis to his statement and Toph walked over to him, placing her hands on her hips smugly.

Sokka continued, "He'll never suspect it, especially not after last years water theme prank!" In his enthusiasm, he placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a slight shake. "Toph, you're a genius!"

Feeling an all too familiar subtle warmth rise in her cheeks, Toph ducked her head and turned away from his grasp. "Yeah, yeah." Her arms folded over her chest and she inquired both challengingly and skeptically, "You _can_ figure out all that technical stuff, right?"

A small, somewhat appalled frown lingered on Sokka's mouth. "Of course I can! A trip into the kitchens, a few edits to the tasty pastry, and everything will fall into place _perfectly_." He flipped his wrists in a circular motion suavely upon finishing his sentence.

Toph sighed contentedly. "Sweetness. Now how's that search going, Ponytail?"

She heard him push aside another gown roughly. "Not so good." Another was moved away. "I mean come on, all these are just not you at all."

"In case you haven't noticed Sokka, dresses aren't really my _thing_ at all. I'm more of a pants kind of girl," Toph told him, her lips pursing slightly.

Sokka shot her another useless look. "You know what I mean," he replied. "I want to find something that fits you just right, but none of these seem to do it."

"I could always just not show up," Toph mused, pleased with the idea.

"And face my sister at the end of the night?"

"Oh yeah. Good point."

More scraping sounds with each dress Sokka pushed away. Then he suddenly gasped.

"Oh, _ooh_, this one is _perfect_!" he exclaimed, startling her.

"Huh?"

"I found one – a dress!" Toph could feel him bouncing in his boots. "Here, give it a look-! Oh, um… I mean… give it… a feel?"

Toph snorted, but waited for Sokka to awkwardly withdraw the dress away from the others. Sensing it was held in front of her she reached out and touched it, smooth silk welcoming her fingertips. Sokka watched with unabashed interest. She fiddled with the dress, letting her hands fall over its high collar, wide sleeves, and embroidered hem. It actually felt… nice.

Giving it one last brush, Toph let her arms fall to her sides. "I gotta' hand it to you Sokka, it _does_ feel good," she confessed.

Smugly, he replied, "Why thank you. Now let's go try it on so we can tell the seamstress what needs to be fixed."

Tossing her eyes upwards yet again, Toph led them to the changing area.

* * *

It was the ninth struggled grunt Sokka heard from his position outside the changing curtain before he decided to finally make a comment.

"Uh, Toph, you sure you don't need help?" he offered, turning his head upwards. "I could go back and get one of those ladies –."

He was cut off impatiently. "I'm blind Sokka, not stupid. I don't need anyone's help getting dressed. Just gimme' a sec."

He scoffed and flashed a grin at no one in particular – Toph had been back there for a good twenty minutes so far and she was still unwilling to accept any assistance. She was as stubborn as the element she wielded.

After a long break, she called back, "Okay, I think I'm ready."

Sokka had to use every ounce of reserve he had not to laugh. With a purposely nasally voice of what was supposed to be an imitation of a pompous rich man, he prodded, "Well then, _do_ come out, Lady Toph."

Deciding to play along with the act, Toph snootily replied, "Of course, Sir Meathead," and stepped out from behind the changing curtain, a playful smirk on her face.

And Sokka's immediate thought was, _Holy spirits_.

Toph looked… whoa_._

His mind went blank; he had to close his eyes and shake his head to attempt to fix the image before him and right it with the Toph he knew. But when nothing changed, he was eternally grateful she could not see him groping for his thoughts like the idiot that he knew he was.

He had always known Toph was a girl. But he had never realized that she was a _girl_… with everything included. If that even made sense. He was sure it didn't, but he didn't care. He knew people changed with time, but her change had never really registered before – and now that it did, it came crashing down on him all at once.

With time, she had morphed into something he would never associated with her before - a grown woman. She wasn't the same tomboy earthbender they had first met years ago –he was at least aware of that- but he had to ask himself, since did she have _hips_ and a _chest_? When did he miss all of that? Was he really that oblivious?

Quite aware that his jaw was hanging loosely, Sokka tried to think of some coherent, but Toph beat him to the punch.

"Cat-owl got your tongue?" she asked.

Not taking his eyes off her, he shook his head and tried to speak properly. "What…? Uh, no! It's j-just…uhh, well… you…" Toph narrowed her brow at him, a confused look etched across her features.

Mustering all his willpower, Sokka finally managed to blurt out (and not sounding like an awkward fifteen-year-old at all), "You look beautiful." He felt his cheeks and ears grow red.

Immediately Toph's face dropped, but not in sadness – in pure shock. A _very_ dark blush worked its way up from her toes to her face and in attempt to regain some of her pride, she ducked her head and crossed her arms.

"Well," she mumbled, "thanks, Sokka." Her lips lifted into a small smile. _Snoozles just called me _beautiful_._

He scratched nervously at his head, and then in all attempts to regain some normality between the two, he observed nervously, "We're going to need the lady to fix the bottom though – it's a bit too long."

Toph pouted and when she was sure her face was no longer hot, she lifted her head towards him. "Don't make it too short. I want to be able to see at this party without all the fancy snobs having hippo-cows at the horrible sight of bare feet."

"Right. Shorter but not too short," Sokka noted.

They stood in silence.

Sokka shifted to his other foot. "So, uhh, I'll go let her know then, right?"

Nodding, Toph agreed, "Right. And I'll go get out of this."

"Okay. Meet me in the front when you're done."

"Sure thing, Ponytail." They both turned to go their separate ways, but then Toph hesitated. "One more thing, Sokka."

She walked over to him and punched him in the shoulder.

Squealing, her friend slapped a hand over his bruised arm and rubbed furiously. "_Ow_! What was _that_ for?"

She shrugged. "Just a love punch. Now scram, and don't come back in ten minutes whining like an old lady about how I'm taking forever. It'll take at least twenty to get this stupid thing off."

Not being able to resist himself, Sokka smirked and rose an eyebrow, suavely joking, "Well if you let me help, I'm sure we could get it off a lot – _OW_!"

Massaging his arm tearfully, Sokka glared mutinously at Toph, who wore a 'you should have thought that one through' expression.

Seeming to sense his next question before he could voice it, Toph declared, "And _that_, Snoozles, was for being a complete moron."

"…Of course."

When would he ever learn?


End file.
